Los Angeles Times - November 4, 2014

State Sen. Ted Lieu (D-Torrance) has beat gang prosecutor Elan S. Carr, a Beverly Hills Republican, in the race to succeed Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Beverly Hills), who is retiring after 40 years in Congress.

First-time candidate Carr emerged as the top vote-getter in the 18-candidate June primary but faced long odds in the strongly Democratic district, much of which served as longtime political home base for liberal lion Waxman and his allies.

Lieu's base is in the South Bay, the more politically moderate part of the largely coastal 33rdCongressional District, which sprawls from Beverly Hills and parts of Los Angeles’ Westside out through Malibu and south through the Palos Verdes Peninsula.

It is the second-most affluent congressional district in the U.S, according to Census data.

Outpolling spiritual teacher and best-selling author Marianne Williamson, an independent, and several notable Democrats in the primary, Lieu finished second, allowing him to move on with Carr to the general election.

Both candidates are strong supporters of Israel, an important factor in this district, and both are viewed as politically moderate.